Yin-Tuan
Yin-Tuan was captain of one of the great war junks of the Cathayan fleet ca 1690 IC. His ship was blown off course by a typhoon that scattered the fleet shortly after it put to sea, and he and his crew crossed Lustria and the Southlands trying to reach the rest of the Grand Imperial Army. He was the only survivor of the whole expedition and Dragon Emperor Wu named him commander of the Palace Guard. Years later as an aged sage living in retirement in the monastery of Mount Li, he wrote down an account of the adventure which survived as a classic of Cathayan literature. Yin-Tuan's voyage Yin-Tuan was captain of one of the great war junks of the ill-fated invasion fleet despatched by Dragon Emperor Wu of Cathay to conquer and colonise the Southlands. Emperor Wu's invasion was intended to secure the spice trade, motivated by intense rivalry with Araby. Long before the rest of the fleet sailed to its ultimate doom however, Yin-Tuan's war junk was blown off course by the typhoon that scattered the fleet shortly after it put to sea. His crew sighted land again after almost ten months at sea. For two months they had fed on nothing but poisonous fish and half the crew were dead and the rest were ill. Yin-Tuan made sail for the land straight away, and his men made camp on the shores of the strange Lustrian coast and feasted upon its tropical fruits until all were well and strong. During this time the Cathayans saw none of the inhabitants and had no idea where they were. A party of men ventured inland and returned several days later, having found a huge statue carved in the shape of a Lizardman. Yin-Tuan ordered everyone to stay near the camp - then at length he gathered the soldiers and the sailors, numbering 123 men in all, and discussed what to do. Yin-Tuan told the men what he had calculated from his charts and astronomical observations - that they were on the other side of the world sphere from Cathay. Many shook their heads in despair. No-one was willing to attempt the journey back the way they had come and endure the same perils all over again. Their spirits were raised when he mentioned that because it was known that the Southlands were inhabited by Lizardmen (known vaguely in Cathay as 'lizard-daemons'), the statue was proof that they had reached there. If they marched overland, they believed they would meet up with the fleet, which should by now have landed on the eastern side, and that they would encounter little opposition because the army of the Lizardmen would have gone eastwards to fight with the invaders. After marching for several days, cutting their way through dense jungle and hungrily feeding on wild rice and tree frogs, the expeditioners encountered more Lizardmen statues. Soon afterwards they entered a wide clearing and were stunned to see three huge stone structures rising up in a stepped formation. These were completely overgrown with vegetation and carved in the likeness of countless heads of the Lizardmen. They made camp on the platform at the top of the highest edifice for safety. At sunrise on the next day they were suddenly awoken by a strange sound. The entire jungle seemed to be moving and quivering around them. When the jungle mist cleared they looked down upon a sea of Lizardmen filling the entire clearing. They were the colour of jade, with yellow crests and were marching in unison. None of them had noticed the Cathayans on their vantage point. Tzu-Kwo, a soldier with very keen eyesight, pointed out where they were coming from - a huge square-shaped lake like a vast paddy field on the edge of the clearing. They were making rasping noises, droning like Cathayan chanting monks. There were at least ten thousand of them. Fearing for their safety the expeditioners hid on top of the platform for the whole day until the sun set. The next day, the clearing was empty. The lizard-horde had moved through the jungle without flattening the vegetation, but it was possible to see which way they had gone, so Yin-Tuan avoided going the same way. His men marched on eastwards for several days. That was until Lin-Po, a good and courageous soldier, reported that they were being followed. Nothing happened until they were clear of dense jungle and had begun wading through a shallow mangrove swamp. As soon as they were in the open, several men at the rear of the column were slain by arrows and javelins thrown by unseen enemies lurking among the tangled mangrove roots. Yin-Tuan immediately gave the order to make a defensive formation. Suddenly, hundreds of jade coloured Skinks emerged from the undergrowth armed with vicious weapons. This time, luckily, their arrows fell harmlessly upon their lacquered tiger-shields. The Cathayans replied with their crossbows, slaying several of them before they scurried back into the trees. The jungle fell silent. Then a flock of birds suddenly scattered out from the trees and close on their heels a Kroxigor armed with a huge bronze axe charged towards us. It crashed through the shields and began chopping to left and right. It took 23 crossbow bolts to fell this mighty lizard warrior because the thick scales which covered its carcass provided better protection than even the lacquered scale armour worn by the Emperor's bodyguard. In the end, they lost many men, because even those who had only been slightly wounded by the enemy's arrows had quickly died since the arrows were tipped with poison. These ambushes occurred every time they broke from the cover provided by the trees and had to cross expanses of open marsh. Every day Yin-Tuan lost more men. The Lizardmen were experts in concealing themselves among the marsh plants and were able to approach dangerously close by keeping most of their bodies underwater. Only their eyes and nostrils were visible, just like crocodiles. Then at close range, they would emerge and shoot a hail of well aimed poisoned arrows. After one skirmish Yin-Tuan noticed a warrior taking something from a fallen comrade and hiding it in his clothing. Seeing the glint of gold, the captain ordered him to show it to him. It was a flat plaque inscribed with the symbols of the Lizardmen. Yin-Tuan made him confess that seven soldiers had taken them from a chamber in one of the buildings in the ruined city. Furious that these men had deceived him and brought misfortune upon his company, Yin-Tuan beheaded the remaining six himself. Then he had the golden plaques left beside the executed men and the column marched on. This pacified their assailants, who were only intent on recovering their sacred objects. There were no further ambushes. Yin-Tuan was surprised when he reached the sea after only 17 days, having thought it not possible to cross the Southlands in so short a time. Then he realised that it was not the same ocean that divides the Southlands from Cathay - he must have crossed the Isthmus of Pahuax (between Lustria and Naggaroth), unknowingly passing near the Norse colony of Skeggi and even nearer to the temple-city of Pahuax, and now he was before the Great Ocean, of which Cathayan sages knew nothing about. Everyone was in great despair, so he decided to start work on building a new vessel immediately. It took them only two weeks to make a very fine and large sampan with a good outrigger and three sails of woven reeds. They also made a raft and filled it with fruit and gourds full of fresh water and then put to sea in one boat and towed the raft behind them. The new ship maintained course towards the east and were at sea for several weeks. They had almost eaten all the fruit, which was now rotten, before they once again sighted land. The prevailing winds and currents carried Yin-Tuan far to the south of Ulthuan, and blew him towards the coast of the Southlands, which the party hoped would have been conquered by then. Yin-Tuan now had only 73 soldiers and sailors remaining in his command. They marched inland once again. The landscape was similar in many ways to Lustria. After hacking their way through dense jungle, we emerged in a vast area of parched ground covered with tall clumps of grass with razor-sharp leaves. In the middle of this expanse the sharp eyed Tzu-Kwo spotted a creature flying high above them. It was a Terradon, carrying two ochre, red-crested Skink riders on its back. The flying creature let out a mournful cry when it saw them, which filled the men with dread and foreboding. Yin-Tuan ordered them to shoot at it with their crossbows to bring it down before the riders could fly off and warn their leader of their whereabouts. Unfortunately they did not hit it, but it immediately flew away. The enemy attacked at dusk. They took the Cathayans by surprise as they could not see to shoot their crossbows. The creatures which attacked them were Saurus Warriors that came at them in ranks, armed with spears and shields. They fought savagely, thrusting with their hefty bronze and volcanic glass tipped spears. The soldiers could not stand against them, and Yin-Tuan was struck heavily with a mace from behind and fell unconscious. When he regained his senses, he found himself to be bound hand and foot to a long pole. It was being carried by several of the same Saurus who had overwhelmed his men. Ahead of him he could see the faithful Tzu-Kwo, also tied to a carrying pole. He shouted out to him, and he replied that everyone else was dead. This shouting provoked a Skink Chief who seemed to be in charge of the column. This officer was magnificently bedecked in gold bangles and exotic feathers. He brandished his spear and began speaking in an unintelligible tongue, so Yin-Tuan decided to remain quiet. They endured a terrible journey for several days. Occasionally water was poured into his mouth from a gourd. And what little food he got consisted of bitter-tasting dried grubs, but amazingly they staved off his hunger. Eventually they passed along a paved road, between rows of crouching Lizardmen statues, and entered a broad open plaza. There were ruins here like in the first Lizardmen city - great edifices rising up in steps. These though were far bigger and in better repair. All around there was noise and activity from the gangs of Skinks scurrying about on various tasks. Massive blocks of carved stone were being dragged up a vast ramp on one side of a tall stepped building. Kroxigors were bearing the strain of the ropes, while the Skinks directed the work. In other places, groups of Skink Priests were engaged in heated debates accompanied by rows of seated scribes writing on clay plaques. Tzu-Kwo and Yin-Tuan were taken out of the bright daylight and manacled to the wall of a dank and dark vault guarded by two Saurus. The next day they were led out and taken up countless steps until they emerged into the dazzling sunlight. They were goaded out onto a platform which was half-way up the side of one of the huge stepped structures. There were guards and dignitaries of the Lizardmen on all sides. On the steps above and below us were ranks of Skinks beating huge drums in unison. Far below, the plaza was full of a dense mass of Lizardmen of all types, arranged it seemed in regiments. The steps of the other great buildings were also covered in rank upon rank of Lizardmen. All the Lizardmen around them suddenly turned and began making obeisance towards the top of the great edifice. High up on the top platform, a palanquin emerged from the darkness of an ornate doorway. On top sat a Slann Mage-Priest, a creature never seen before by Cathayans. The gold and jade ornaments it was wearing glinted like jewels in the sun. By the great respect being shown by all the Lizardmen, Yin-Tuan took this being to be the high priest or ruler of the city. This great one made a gesture and the Lizardmen ceased their obeisance and began their rasping incantations. Before the prisoners was a deep pit from which rose a foul stench. Tzu-Kwo and Yin-Tuan were prodded towards its edge as a sacrifice to the Old Ones. Tzu-Kwo bravely stood to attention, preparing to meet his ancestors like a true soldier of the Emperor. He kept his composure even as he was hurled into the pit. When Yin-Tuan was grabbed by the Saurus to meet the same destiny, however, his silk tunic tore and revealed his Imperial Dragon tattoo on his back - which resembled an archaic image of the god Sotek, giving the Skink Priests and their Slann master a problem to ponder and delaying the sacrifice of Yin-Tuan. The ritual was brought to an end, and he was led back down to the vault whilst they decided what to do. At nightfall, Yin-Tuan noticed that the reactions of the Saurus were not as good during the coolness of night. Summoning all the energy he had left he performed a single somersault, and although he was only a poor disciple of the martial arts he succeeded in catching hold of the carvings on the edge of the light shaft of the vault. He moved so fast that the Lizardmen were not able to stop him, and could only growl below him, jabbing upwards with their spears. Yin-Tuan hauled himself out of the shaft and found himself out in the open, on the lowest step of the temple. He did not waste any time and ran as fast as he could towards the jungle with the bronze manacles still attached to his hands and legs. He kept on going throughout the night, without stopping to rest until he was exhausted. He could hear the war drums of the Lizardmen beating the alarm in the distance and knew that they would be following him. He suddenly came out of the jungle onto the banks of a river. He stumbled along the bank tugging at logs among the mangrove roots and debris of fallen trees until he managed to move one. He dragged it into the water and lay on top of it. Soon he was drifting with the current. As he slowly drifted off to sleep, he thought it was good fortune that the river was flowing eastwards. Suddenly he awoke - his feet were in the water and in excruciating pain, bitten by carnivorous fish. Somehow he managed to stay on top of the log, keeping himself awake until the sun had risen. All day he drifted with the current under the burning sun. He had escaped the Lizardmen at last, but it seemed certain that he would die anyway and be eaten by the fish. At length the log was washed up on a vast sand bank. He dragged himself ashore and slept. The next day he began to walk across the sand bank until he had reached the far side. The water was a different colour, the colour of the ocean. It tasted salty but he didn't care as he rejoiced at finally reaching the Sea of Terror at last. He could tell from the sun's position that he was on the northern bank of the river mouth, and so began to walk northwards, reasoning that sooner or later he would reach the fleet of the Emperor anchored off the coast and be rescued. Yin-Tuan walked slowly for days, eating shellfish and birds' eggs. He managed to break free of the manacles on his wrists and ankles by bashing them with rocks. As time wore on he began to see ships' timbers scattered on the sand which had drifted in on the tides. As he proceeded further northwards he saw the shattered hulks of ships. Soon he recognised them as the war junks of Imperial Cathay. At first he thought that these were other junks which had been scattered and shipwrecked in the typhoon. He found no survivors, only a few bleached bones which had been picked clean by the birds. Yin-Tuan sat down in despair. Before him was a terrible sight. The whole beach was full of wrecked junks and strewn with countless bones. It was all that remained of the mighty invincible fleet of Imperial Cathay, over a thousand war junks and a hundred thousand men. He wandered among the wrecks for hours and found no sign of any survivors - the misfortune that befell the fleet had occurred too long ago. He camped on the beach for several days before he saw the sails of a junk out at sea. He lit a fire of old tarred driftwood to signal to it. Soon the junk approached close to the shore. It was a trading junk, on the spice route to Araby, flying the banner of the Tei-Pings, who were well known spice traders. They sent out a sampan for him as he waved and shouted from the beach. The crew were surprised to see him and very anxious to be gone from that place as quickly as possible. From them he learned that the Emperor's fleet had been wrecked while at anchor by a second terrible typhoon. The survivors had marched inland and disappeared. The Emperor had therefore ordered all traders to keep watch on the coasts for any sign of their banners. Yin-Tuan was the only survivor of that mighty expedition to be found alive. He returned to Cathay and was received into the presence of the Emperor himself to give his account. The Emperor ordered that it should be recorded for posterity and rewarded him with command of the Palace Guard. Sources * Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (5th Edition). ** pg. 14 ** pg. 15 ** pg. 16 ** pg. 17 es:Yin-Tuan Category:Y Category:Cathayan Characters Category:T